Tuning Fluorescent Response of Nanoscale Film With Polymer Grafting

An effective method for tuning fluorescent response of an ultrathin (5 nm) polymer film, which can be used for generation of sensing arrays, is reported. This method is distinctive in that the modification of the optical response is achieved with polymer grafting of a non‐fluorescent polymer to a fluorescent film. Using this approach, a number of films demonstrating different fluorescent emission when exposed to solvent vapors were synthesized.     

爆炸物检测用荧光聚合物材料

作为荧光传感材料,荧光聚合物不仅具有传感单元多、荧光亮度高、光稳定性好等特点,而且方便制备荧光传感薄膜,易于实现器件化,在爆炸物荧光检测中得到了广泛的研究与应用。近年来,随着荧光聚合物从传统的线型结构向支化和多孔网络结构的拓展,以及各种功能单元的引入,大量的新型荧光聚合物有效地提升了爆炸物检测的灵敏度、选择性和响应速度等性能。本综述从线型聚合物、支化聚合物、多孔聚合物三类体系出发,总结和评述了用于爆炸物荧光检测的线型共轭与非共轭聚合物、树枝状分子与超支化聚合物、无定形与结晶型多孔聚合物等典型体系的分子结构设计策略、功能特点以及传感性能,并展望了荧光聚合物未来在爆炸物检测应用中所面临的机遇和挑战。     

新型导电高分子抗静电剂进展

本征型导电高分子抗静电剂是目前发现的使用效果最好的抗静电剂之一.本文简要综述了本征型导电高分子抗静电剂的工作原理、特点、国内外发展现状及发展趋势,其中重点介绍了聚(3,4 二氧乙基噻吩)/聚对苯乙烯磺酸,以及它在感光材料中作为抗静电剂显示的重要作用.     

共轭高分子材料荧光颜色的调节机理及方法

近年来,共轭高分子作为荧光材料的研究受到越来越多的关注.共轭高分子相对于小分子发光材料在材料加工和发光性能上均具有极大的优势,从而在生物成像、传感、编码和光电材料等方面均有良好的应用前景,而其发光颜色的调节在某些应用中是极为重要的.本文首先对共轭高分子荧光颜色调节的两大类机理进行了阐述:直接调节共轭聚合物发光体系的能隙以改变发光颜色,或者将具有不同荧光颜色的材料发出的光叠加获得新的表观颜色.我们还对具体的调节手段进行了初步分类,包括物理共混法、共聚法、改变聚合物主链或侧基结构,以及改变共轭高分子聚集态等方法;在列举具体调节手段同时还引入了共轭高分子体系的实例说明,并对其中调节荧光颜色的可能机理进行了探讨.     

Electrofluorochromic Detection of Cyanide Anions Using a Nanoporous Polymer Electrode and the Detection Mechanism

An electrofluorochromic (EFC) conjugated copolymer ( P_EFC ) containing carbazole and benzothiadiazole (BTD) moieties is synthesized through Suzuki coupling followed by electrochemical polymerization, resulting in a nanoporous EFC polymer electrode. The electrode exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity in the EFC detection of cyanide anions (CN^?) in largely aqueous electrolyte (67 vol % water) because electrochemical oxidation of P_EFC leads to significant fluorescence quenching, and the presence of different concentrations (1 to 100 μM ) of CN^? in the electrolyte can weaken the oxidative quenching to substantially different extents. Although P_EFC is hydrophobic in the neutral state, it is converted to radical cation/dication states upon oxidation, rendering the P_EFC some hydrophilicity. Moreover, its nanoporous morphology provides a large surface area and short diffusion distance, facilitating the movement of CN^? in the electrolyte into the P_EFC film to interact with receptors. Density functional theory calculations show that the noncovalent interaction between electron‐deficient BTD and nucleophilic CN^? is energy favorable in the oxidized states in both aqueous and organic media, suggesting that the specific π^?–π⁺ interaction plays the main role in the CN^? detection.     

Tuning Redox Chemistry and Photophysics in Core‐Substituted Tetraazaperopyrenes (TAPPs)

Core substitution of tetraazaperopyrenes (TAPPs) has been achieved, and with it, considerable variation of their photo‐ and redox‐chemical properties. Through Suzuki cross coupling starting from the fourfold core‐brominated tetraazaperopyrene, aryl‐substituted TAPPs were synthesized, which displayed very high fluorescence quantum yields (up to 100 %) in solution. Besides the Suzuki reactions, Stille and Sonogashira cross‐couplings were also found to be suitable methods for core derivatization, as demonstrated in the syntheses of alkynyl‐substituted tetraazaperopyrene congeners. Furthermore, TAPPs incorporating intramolecular donor–acceptor combinations of aromatic units ( 8 , 9 ) were accessible by coupling the electron‐poor peropyrene core with electron‐rich aromatic units, which act as strong electron donors. Finally, C‐heteroatom coupling (O, S, N) gave rise to novel TAPP derivatives with strongly modified redox‐chemical behaviour and photophysics in the solid state as well in solution. In particular, TAPP derivatives displaying red fluorescence were obtained for the first time.     

Novel Color-Shifting Mobility Sensitive Fluorescent Probes for Polymer Characterization

1-Methyl-7-dimethylamino quinolinium tetrafluoroborate, a highly stable, highly fluorescent color-shifting mobility sensitive fluorescent probe was employed for detecting the glass transition and phase transitions, notably crystallization, in polymers and polymer blends. Glass transitions in amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers were detected by a change in gradient in emission wavelength λ_max versus T plots. Crystallization resulted in discrete blue shifts in λ_max versus T plots. Selective probing of PMMA in a PS/PMMA blend, down to a PMMA content of 1%, was demonstrated. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy has established a clear link between the mobility of dipoles in PMMA and the emission wavelength of the fluorescent probe.     

One‐Step Electrodeposition to Layer‐by‐Layer Graphene–Conducting‐Polymer Hybrid Films

One‐step fabrication of graphene–polyaniline (graphene–PANI) hybrid film was facilely achieved by cyclic voltammetric electrolysis of a bath containing both graphene oxide (GO) and aniline, where graphene is obtained by electrochemical reduction of GO and PANI is simultaneously obtained by aniline electropolymerization. As there is no strong attraction between aniline and GO under the electrodeposition conditions, the independent depositions of PANI and reduced GO nanosheets at their greatly differed potentials led to alternate layered graphene–PANI films, with the topmost layer being PANI particles or graphene sheets just by changing the initial scan directions. The two kinds of graphene–PANI hybrid films present excellent but different electrical and electrochemical behaviors.     

Novel Biodegradable Polymer with Redox‐Triggered Backbone Cleavage Through Sequential 1,6‐Elimination and 1,5‐Cyclization Reactions

In the past decade, the self‐immolative biodegradable polymer arose as a novel paradigm for its efficient degradation mechanism and vast potential for advanced biomedical applications. This study reports successful synthesis of a novel biodegradable polymer capable of self‐immolative backbone cleavage. The monomer is designed by covalent conjugations of both pendant redox‐trigger (p‐nitrobenzyl alcohol) and self‐immolative linker (p‐hydroxybenzyl alcohol) to the cyclization spacer (n‐2‐(hydroxyethyl)ethylene diamine), which serves as the structural backbone. The polymerization of the monomer with hexamethylene diisocyanate yields a linear redox‐sensitive polymer that can systemically degrade via sequential 1,6‐elimination and 1,5‐cyclization reactions within an effective timeframe. Ultimately, the polymer's potential for biomedical application is simulated through in vitro redox‐triggered release of paclitaxel from polymeric nanoparticles.     

Alkyne‐Linked Poly(1,8‐carbazole)s: A Novel Class of Conjugated Carbazole Polymers

Novel conjugated carbazole polymers based on the alkyne‐linked 1,8‐carbazole structure are synthesized in high yield by the Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction and acetylenic oxidative coupling reaction. The polymers are thermally stable and highly soluble in common organic solvents such as CHCl₃, CH₂Cl₂, and THF. As compared to ethynylene‐linked polymer, the butadiynylene‐linked polymer display a bathochromic shift in the absorption maximum and end absorption position. In addition, the fluorescence behaviors in CH₂Cl₂ are almost identical for both polymers. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the ethynylene‐linked polymer possesses a lower first oxidation potential than the butadiynylene‐linked one.

     

In-situ Apparent Mobility of Charge Carriers in Polyaniline Films Measured with a New Four-band Electrode

The in‐situ apparent mobility in polyaniline films was accurately measured in a wide doping region using a new four‐band electrode. It was found the apparent mobility in polyaniline films rises with increasing the doping level or carrier density. The influence of film thickness on the conductivity and apparent mobility of charge carriers was also investigated. The relative higher conductivity observed in a thinner film under low and intermediate doping potentials is assigned to the higher inter‐chain mobility related to the more ordered structure of the film. The mobility variations provide experimental evidence to confirm the inter‐chain path for hopping transport of polarons and the intra‐chain path for evolution of metallic conduction.     

Poly(DCAQI): Synthesis and characterization of a new redox‐active polymer

Redox‐active anthraquinone based polymers are synthesized by the introduction of a polymerizable vinyl and ethynyl group, respectively, resulting in redox‐active monomers, which electrochemical behaviors are tailored by the modification of the keto groups to N‐cyanoimine moieties. These monomers can be polymerized by free radical polymerization and Rh‐catalyzed polymerization methods, respectively. The resulting polymers are obtained in molar masses (M_n) of 4,400 to 16,800 g mol^?1 as well as high yields of up to 97%. The monomers and polymers are furthermore electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry. The monomers exhibit two one‐electron redox reactions at about ?0.6 and ?1.0 V versus Fc⁺/Fc. The N‐cyanoimine units are, however, partially hydrolyzed during the polymerization step or during the electrochemical measurements and degenerate to carbonyl groups, resulting in a new reduction signal at ?1.26 V versus Fc⁺/Fc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1998–2003     

A Nonaqueous Redox-Matched Flow Battery with Charge Storage in Insoluble Polymer Beads**

We describe the nonaqueous redox-matched flow battery (RMFB), where charge is stored on redox-active moieties covalently tethered to non-circulating, insoluble polymer beads and charge is transferred between the electrodes and the beads via soluble mediators with redox potentials matched to the active moieties on the beads. The RMFB reported herein uses ferrocene and viologen derivatives bound to crosslinked polystyrene beads. Charge storage in the beads leads to a high (approximately 1.0–1.7 M) effective concentration of active material in the reservoirs while preventing crossover of that material. The relatively low concentration of soluble mediators (15 mM) eliminates the need for high-solubility molecules to create high energy density batteries. Nernstian redox exchange between the beads and redox-matched mediators was fast relative to the cycle time of the RMFB. This approach is generalizable to many different redox-active moieties via attachment to the versatile Merrifield resin.     

Click synthesis and reversible electrochromic behaviors of novel polystyrenes bearing aromatic amine units

Novel electrochromic polymers were prepared by the click postfunctionalization of poly(4‐azidomethylstyrene) with alkyne‐containing aromatic amine units in the presence of Cu(I) catalysts. Two kinds of aromatic amine units, tris(4‐alkoxyphenyl)amine and N,N,N′,N′‐tetraphenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine, were introduced into polystyrene side chains, which were completely characterized by gel permeation chromatography–multiangle light scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance, and infrared spectroscopies, and elemental analysis. Thermal analyses demonstrated the high stability with the decomposition temperatures exceeding 300 °C even after postfunctionalization. The UV–vis absorption spectra of the polymer thin films revealed negligible absorption in the visible region, as reasonably confirmed by visual observation. The polymer thin films were prepared by spray‐coating on an indium tin oxide‐coated glass plate. Cyclic voltammograms of these films exhibited anodic peaks ascribed to the oxidation of the side‐chain aromatic amine moieties. The tris(4‐alkoxyphenyl)amine unit displayed one‐step oxidation at 0.287 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), while the N,N,N′,N′‐tetraphenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine unit showed two‐step oxidations at 0.297 and 0.641 V. These oxidation processes produced new colors of the polymer films. The former triarylamine‐based chromophore provided a blue color after the oxidation, while the latter phenylenediamine‐based chromophore showed a potentially controlled green and dark blue colors. The reversibility and switching behaviors of these color changes were also comprehensively investigated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Cation‐Dependent Stabilization of Electrogenerated Naphthalene Diimide Dianions in Porous Polymer Thin Films and Their Application to Electrical Energy Storage

Porous polymer networks (PPNs) are attractive materials for capacitive energy storage because they offer high surface areas for increased double‐layer capacitance, open structures for rapid ion transport, and redox‐active moieties that enable faradaic (pseudocapacitive) energy storage. Here we demonstrate a new attractive feature of PPNs—the ability of their reduced forms (radical anions and dianions) to interact with small radii cations through synergistic interactions arising from densely packed redox‐active groups, only when prepared as thin films. When naphthalene diimides (NDIs) are incorporated into PPN films, the carbonyl groups of adjacent, electrochemically generated, NDI radical anions and dianions bind strongly to K⁺, Li⁺, and Mg²⁺, shifting the formal potentials of NDI’s second reduction by 120 and 460 mV for K⁺ and Li⁺‐based electrolytes, respectively. In the case of Mg²⁺, NDI’s two redox waves coalesce into a single two‐electron process with shifts of 240 and 710 mV, for the first and second reductions, respectively, increasing the energy density by over 20 % without changing the polymer backbone. In contrast, the formal reduction potentials of NDI derivatives in solution are identical for each electrolyte, and this effect has not been reported for NDI previously. This study illustrates the profound influence of the solid‐state structure of a polymer on its electrochemical response, which does not simply reflect the solution‐phase redox behavior of its monomers.